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This reflection is in honor of Pastor Appreciation Month, celebrated during October. I learned many years ago that a pastor is not only the leader of the congregation but also a coach, counselor, therapist, teacher, visionary and banker. Of course, that only describes a few of the hats a minister wears during his lifetime in service […]

It’s no wonder the Rev. Jeff Peck at Braden River United Methodist Church in Bradenton feels a little like Job from the Old Testament. In the last 18 months, he’s had to tackle a once-in-a-century pandemic, a road project that cut off the main access to his church and a burst pipe that flooded the fellowship hall,

Grace Rogers says she feels fairly overwhelmed most of the time. The 21-year-old Jacksonville native is entering the last leg of her interdisciplinary undergraduate studies at the University of North Florida, while also serving as a ministry fellow with Campus to City Wesley Foundation, the school’s United Methodist student ministry. “I feel I could cry at

Alante Thomas knows his mission in The United Methodist Church is a challenging one. As a young Black man, he wants to be in a leadership role one day — a path that might not always be easy in a mainly white denomination. According to the Religious Landscape Study by the Pew Research Center —

As a mother of three with a full-time job at Allendale United Methodist Church in St. Petersburg, Victoria “Tori” Edwards knows that time is a precious commodity. But that didn’t stop her from pursuing her calling. “Growing up in a fundamentalist Baptist church, I was always told I would make a great pastor’s wife,” she

One of Madelyn deVega’s earliest ministry experiences is also her most memorable. One early morning, she was helping with the Open Arms relief ministry at Hyde Park United Methodist Church in Tampa, where her father, the Rev. Magrey deVega, is senior pastor. While serving food, she made a mistake and was chastised by one of the patrons.

During the past 18 months, the pandemic has put unprecedented pressure on church professionals, amplified the demands of ministry and stretched already strained resources. Coupled with that reality is the fact many clergy have been forced to implement and run technologies they are neither trained in nor paid to facilitate. “Folks are just so stressed,”

The Florida United Methodist Foundation is revising its investment options for church and agency investors, effective July 1. It’s the second phase of the foundation’s transition to new investment consultant CAPTRUST Financial Advisors. Investors will still have three fund choices, but they will now include a new long-term fund designed to meet the investment needs of churches

As the pandemic slowly begins to loosen its grip in the United States, the economic reality is still having an impact across the Florida Conference. Like many businesses, restaurants and schools, United Methodist churches are maneuvering and making adjustments to contend with the ongoing effects of COVID-19. Some have emerged with a few battle scars

When my teenaged daughter was at fault in a car wreck, five people sought representation from personal injury attorneys. I recognized them from the billboards along Interstate-4. The settlement conference could have been a nightmare. Fortunately, my family’s insurance plan provided adequate coverage that included umbrella insurance, which covers assets at risk in a lawsuit. It